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By Bart Harvey
The Dodgers had three players in their farm system earn top honors for July 18-24:
Month: July 2016 (Page 2 of 5)
In a season of downs and ups, Nomar Garciaparra stews after the Dodgers blew a 5-2, ninth-inning lead at San Francisco on May 13, 2006. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
On this day 10 years ago, the 2006 National League West champion* Dodgers lost their eighth game in a row.
It’s a contradiction that, frankly, should provide comfort to the 2016 NL West-leading San Francisco Giants, who have lost eight of nine games since the All-Star Break, allowing the Dodgers to come with 2 1/2 games of first place for the first time since May 18.
But the larger point is that even with four months of baseball nearly in the books, nothing is decided.
Those 2006 Dodgers, man, were they a roller-coaster team. After starting the season 12-17 and falling into the division’s basement (remember, this was a team that had gone 71-91 the year before), they won 15 of their next 18 and ultimately moved into first place by early June.
But it was a tight, crazy-making race. On the first four days of July, Los Angeles finished the night in a different position in the division: second place on July 1, fourth place on July 2, third place on July 3, tied for first Independence Day.
Then came the All-Star Break, and a horror show worse than even the Giants have experienced. The Dodgers went from 46-42 to 47-55, losing 13 of 14 to fall back into last, 7 1/2 games behind the Padres. Jake Peavy, who pitched Monday for the Giants, was the winning pitcher for San Diego on July 26, 2006 in the completion of a three-game sweep that seemed to doom Los Angeles.
The next day, July 27, was an off day, and I published a column for SI.com in which I said the Dodgers shouldn’t feel stigmatized about being sellers at the trade deadline.
So what happened next? Oh, nothing much, except the Dodgers won their next 11 games and 17 out of 18, again moving all the way from last place to first. I got to write a whole new column for SI, one that began with a quote from Vin Scully.
By Jon Weisman
When the Dodgers have struggled, particularly this year, it’s been said more than once that the problem is a team with no identity outside of Clayton Kershaw.
Fans and media do a lot of weird things when they are frustrated with a team. There’s probably no topping accusing a team of having no heart when it loses a game, no matter how close — this idea that if they didn’t win, they must not have been trying.
But in the ongoing need to psychoanalyze the absence of perfection, the “no identity” crisis is a fine runner-up.
“No identity” wins points because it’s just such an obscure idea to begin with. What player walks into the batter’s box and then stops short, wondering, “Wait. I don’t really know what defines us as a club. So how do I hit that slider? Should I even try? It’s just all so confusing!”
Team identity is make-believe, one of those retroactive rationalizations that insists on turning a game of bats and balls into a Beckett play. You’ve either got guys who can do the job or you don’t.
And so, the idea of the Dodgers having no identity outside of Kershaw was always ridiculously reductive. There’s no denying that Kershaw is the Dodgers’ most valuable, most talented, most everything player — that he has been the face of the franchise for some time now. But it doesn’t mean that the others on the team stop existing.
If there’s one positive that has come in the four weeks that have come since a disc herniation sidelined Kershaw, it’s that it has exposed the lie that the 2016 Dodgers were Kershaw and nothing else.
As Hall of Fame induction weekend takes place, the Dodgers once again salute Mike Piazza on his ascension to baseball’s pinnacle place. The official ceremony will happen Sunday. Congratulations!
— Jon Weisman
By Jon Weisman
Left-handed reliever Grant Dayton has joined the Dodgers from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and Julio Urías was also officially recalled to start today’s game at Washington.
To make room, Charlie Culberson and Zach Walters are returning to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Chris Hatcher was moved to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for Dayton.
The 28-year-old Dayton has a 2.51 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP with 57 strikeouts (15.9 K/9) against seven walks in 32 1/3 innings since being promoted to Oklahoma City from Double-A Tulsa.
Culberson went 1 for 3 with an RBI single in the Dodgers’ 8-1 loss Wednesday to Washington.
Charlie Culberson takes a swing in April for the Dodgers. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Dodgers at Nationals, 7:05 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, LF
Chris Taylor, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Yasiel Puig, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Charlie Culberson, SS
Bud Norris, P
Howie Kendrick, LF
Chris Taylor, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, RF
Yasiel Puig, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Charlie Culberson, SS
Bud Norris, P
By Jon Weisman
It’s incredible to imagine an entire 25-man roster of players going on the disabled list, but the Dodgers are almost there.
Chris Hatcher has become the 22nd different Dodger to go on the DL this season, with infielder Charlie Culberson called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his roster spot.
Culberson will be at shortstop tonight in place of Corey Seager, who is missing his second straight start after coming down with a stomach virus.
According to Stats LLC, the Dodgers have tied the 2015 Mets for the National League record for most different players on the disabled list and sit five behind the 2012 Red Sox for the MLB record.
Sandy Koufax with Alex Wood on Old-Timers Day, July 2. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
For Alex Wood, it’s eight more weeks of winter. For the Dodgers, it’s a little bit more like Groundhog Day.
Wood is undergoing an arthroscopic debridement of his left elbow today in New York, the Dodgers announced, with an estimated recovery time of eight weeks.
The 25-year-old lefty is the third Dodger starting pitcher this week to suffer a setback, following Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Wood went on the disabled list May 31 with left posterior elbow soreness.
He has a fielding-independent ERA of 3.27 and at the time of his original injury was 10th in the National League with 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Clayton Kershaw’s anticipated return from the disabled list this week has been delayed after he came out of a weekend bullpen session with residual pain, as Alex Putterman of MLB.com reports.
Bud Norris will start Wednesday, and Julio Urías is expected to come back from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start Thursday’s blazing hot day game. Urías last started July 4.
— Jon Weisman
Dodgers at Nationals, 7:05 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Howie Kendrick, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasiel Puig, CF
Chris Taylor, SS
Scott Kazmir, P
Chase Utley, 2B
Howie Kendrick, LF
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasiel Puig, CF
Chris Taylor, SS
Scott Kazmir, P
By Jon Weisman
Joc Pederson has been activated from the 15-day disabled list, but the Dodgers are placing pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Casey Fien on the 15-day disabled list, each with elbow tendonitis.
Luis Avilan is returning from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Fien’s roster spot.
Ryu was scheduled to start for the Dodgers at Washington on Wednesday. He allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings July 7, in his first start since 2014.
The Dodgers haven’t announced a replacement starter for Wednesday. Bud Norris is scheduled to start on regular rest for Thursday’s day game. Clayton Kershaw doesn’t have an announced return date yet.
![Image-1[99]](https://mlblogsdodgers.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/image-199.jpg)
By Jon Weisman
When this year’s Dodger transactions are tallied, let’s not forget Brandon McCarthy being acquired in exchange for 14 months of suffering.
In his third start since completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery, McCarthy again asserted himself against the void of opposing bats, throwing six shutout innings for the Dodgers at Arizona tonight.
McCarthy sliced up the Diamondbacks on only 77 pitches — fewer than 13 per inning — allowing three hits and no walks while striking out eight. He wasn’t fazed at all by a delay of more than 10 minutes after he had thrown only two pitches, when home-plate umpire Dale Scott took a foul ball to the face mask and ultimately had to leave the game.
So far in this comeback season, McCarthy has thrown 16 innings with an ERA of 1.69, walking four, striking out 22 and looking every bit like a key second-half figure for the Dodgers.
By Jon Weisman
Trayce Thompson, who hasn’t been able to shake a lower back irritation despite the All-Star Break, has become the 20th Dodger to go on the disabled list this season (retroactive to July 10).
Taking his place on the active roster will be infielder-outfielder Zach Walters, who is already on the 40-man roster.
The 26-year-old Walters was acquired during the opening week of the season from Cleveland and has spent the entire season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He has a .346 on-base percentage and 491 slugging percentage in 77 games, with 15 doubles and 10 homers, while playing every position except catcher. (Yes, he even pitched to seven batters this year.)
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
In his 97th Major League game and 11th as a Dodger, Chris Taylor had a night to remember.
Taylor tripled, doubled and hit a grand slam home run, driving in six runs in a 13-7 Dodger slugfest victory at Arizona, a game that saw every Dodger starter score by the sixth inning.
The 25-year-old, who was acquired June 19 in exchange for Zach Lee, had a chance for the cycle in the eighth inning and tried to sneak a bunt to get the necessary single, but reliever Josh Collmenter was able to lunge and backhand the ball to throw him out.
Taylor became the 13th Dodger to have a homer, triple and double in a game without the single. The Dodgers also had nine starters score in a game in their Opening Day, 15-0 win over San Diego.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Chris Taylor, 2B
Bud Norris, P
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Scott Van Slyke, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Chris Taylor, 2B
Bud Norris, P
By Jon Weisman
Paul Goldschmidt comes to the plate against the Dodgers, and you can hear the panicked screaming from across the fan base: “Just walk him.”
But following years of Goldschmidt taking a sledgehammer to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have gotten their revenge …
… for the most part.
After stomping Los Angeles in 2012, 2013 and 2015 (while settling for being merely good in 2014), Goldschmidt has been retired in 20 of 25 plate appearances this season, heading into tonight’s three-game Dodger-Diamondbacks series.
Not that he hasn’t done some damage. In his first game against the Dodgers this year, at the Dodger Stadium home opener April 12, Goldschmidt hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning. He also hit a first-inning homer in the Diamondbacks’ 3-2 win over the Dodgers on June 13.
In fact, Goldschmidt has driven in a run with every hit he’s had against the Dodgers this year, which only bolsters the impression that he’s been as tough on them as ever. But overall, the Dodgers have gotten their revenge.
By Jon Weisman
It was an absolutely lovely day at Dodger Stadium today. Mild warmth. A refreshing breeze.
As the shadows made their way across the field at the 5 o’clock hour, Clayton Kershaw and Brett Anderson emerged from the clubhouse and played catch. And it wasn’t tentative. It was glove-poppin’, “we mean business” catch.
While more Dodgers trickled onto the field for an informal workout tonight, the last night before returning to action with a 10-game road trip that begins Friday at Arizona, Dave Roberts spoke to reporters about the state of several injured players — Kershaw, Anderson, Joc Pederson, Alex Wood, Andre Ethier, Yimi Garcia. And everything was just about as glowing as that magic late-afternoon sunlight.
